Love on the Run
Part 6
With the exception of a few clothes, Lou decided to leave her belongings in St. Joe and start over in Sweetwater. When they arrived, Kid dropped Lou off at the hotel to check in to a room for the night, giving her a chance to go shopping for some new clothes before they implemented their plan. Kid was so sure their plan would work and she only prayed he was right.
~~ ** ~~
"Rider comin'!" Buck yelled from the porch of the bunkhouse. "Kid's back!"
The riders all came out to greet him. "Welcome back, Kid. We missed you around here." Cody said.
Kid laughed. "No, you missed me doin' your chores."
Buck laughed. "With all the replacement housekeepers Teaspoon's gone through, we've all had more work to do around here."
Kid looked alarmed. "Has he hired someone yet?"
Cody shook his head. "If he doesn't find someone soon, I'm gonna starve to death."
"Did the momma of the baby come back?"
"Nope," Noah answered. "And we can't figure out which one of you is the father. And since you're not the type, we ruled you out even before we ruled me out."
Kid looked at the ground, scared if he looked at his fellow riders, they would somehow see right through him. "Where's he now?"
"With Teaspoon over at the jail."
Perfect, Kid thought. This should work out just perfect!
~~ ** ~~
Lou walked in to the Marshal's office and her heart stopped at the sight that greeted her. An older man, who from Kid's description could only be Teaspoon, was bouncing her son gently on his knee. He'd grown so much in just the short time they were separated and she realized just how much she had missed him.
Teaspoon looked up as Lou entered and smiled. "Well howdy ma'am," he said tipping his hat. "How can we help you?"
"I'm looking for a Teaspoon Hunter. I heard he was lookin' for some help out at the Express station."
"And you would be?"
"Louise McCloud."
"Well I reckon you've come to the right place Miz McCloud. We're lookin' for someone who can cook, clean and do other chores as needed for a bunch of rowdy young boys. At any given meal there could be anywhere from three to seven or eight mouths to feed."
"Sounds easy enough. What about cleanin'?"
"Well the boys have their own chores, and they know they have to do them. But you'd be responsible for makin' sure they do them as well as keepin' the main house straightened up for company."
"And this little one? Does he come with the job?" Lou knelt beside Teaspoon and rubbed her son's back.
"Well, we ain't sure what to do with this little one. Seems his momma was in a bit of a bind and dropped him off on our doorstep."
As if he knew he was being talked about, Jedidiah started crying.
Lou smiled. "Well he's got a strong set of lungs for someone so young. May I?" she held out her arms while holding her breath waiting for a response.
Teaspoon nodded and placed the baby in her arms. Immediately he stopped fussing.
"Well I'll be. Seems he's takin' a likin' to you."
"He's adorable."
"Do you have any children? A husband who might object to you workin' around a bunch of boys?" Lou shook her head refusing to look at Teaspoon. "Might I ask what brings you to our fair town?"
Lou knew this was coming, and she and Kid had decided it would be better to stick to the truth up to the point of their first meeting. "I ran away from an orphanage when I was thirteen. Worked in St. Joe for a while doin' whatever jobs I could find. Cooking... cleaning... laundry... even worked at the livery there for a while. Before I was sent to the orphanage, I was raised on a horse ranch so I can ride and train horses as well. And before my ma got sick, I helped raise my younger brother and sister. Figured it was time for a change, so headed this way."
"And those bruises you got?" he pointed at her face.
Lou's heart sank. She had tried to hide as much of it as she could with make-up, but they were still to dark and swollen to completely hide. "Took a nasty fall of my horse a coupla days ago. It looks worse than it is. Nothin' I can't handle."
Teaspoon nodded wondering if there was more she wasn't telling him. But she looked like she needed a break, and if she was willing to put up with his gang of unruly boys he was willing to give her a shot.
"Well then, I think I'll give ya a shot. Let's go show you what you're in for."
~~ ** ~~
Lou fell in love with the way station the moment she laid eyes on it. It was exactly as Kid described it and as she stood on the porch of the main house, she could easily imagine one rider coming in and passing the mochilla off to the waiting one.
Carrying the last items she needed for the evening meal to the bunkhouse she could hear voices coming from the barn, and she had been told that the boys were busy with their evening chores. She was hoping for a glance of Kid but knew she would see him soon enough. She could only hope she didn't say or do anything to give away their secret.
When everything in the bunkhouse was ready, Lou went out to the porch and took a deep breath before ringing the bell. She stood there and watched as Teaspoon, Kid and five others exited the barn, stopping when they saw her.
"Teaspoon?" Cody asked stunned by the lovely woman on the porch. "Who's that?"
"Boys, I forgot to tell ya. I hired us a new cook," he answered clearing his throat. He chuckled at the looks his boys were giving their new housekeeper.
Lou blushed as she noticed the looks the boys were giving her. Kid had a look of shock on his face and Lou wasn't sure what to make of it.
She had wanted to make a good impression for the boys, so she chose an outfit Charlotte had given her before she left. The black, tight blouse was extremely low cut, even by Charlotte's standards but Lou was glad she finally had something to fill it with. She at least chose a simple skirt that had a small split on the side that stopped below the knee.
She quickly learned working in a hot kitchen most of the afternoon with long hair was going to be a pain. After an hour she pulled it back in a twist, but now loose strands were falling around her face. She had also applied some more make-up and hoped that with the dark lighting in the bunkhouse, no one would notice the bruises and ask questions.
"Anyone that beautiful can cook?" Jimmy asked grinning. Jimmy had known many beautiful women in his life, and none that looked like that could cook - at least not in the kitchen.
Kid almost didn't recognize her at first and wasn't surprised that his friends were acting this way. He wasn't happy about their reactions, but then again if the low cut blouse she was wearing had revealed any more of her cleavage, and he didn't know that this was the mother of his child, he probably would have acted the same way.
"Who cares?" he asked nonchalantly.
"I do!" Jimmy and Cody replied simultaneously.
Kid glared at them. "You would."
As Lou turned to head back in to the bunkhouse, the riders tried to out run each other to get inside.
"Take it easy on her boys; she fell off her horse a few days ago." Teaspoon supplied hoping his boys would go easy on her. He rushed after them leaving Kid following slowly.
By the time everyone was washed up and sitting at the table, Lou was ready to begin serving.
"I hope you like it," she leaned down to put the roast on the table.
"Looks mighty fine to me..." Cody said staring at Lou's chest.
"I was talking about the roast," Lou replied swatting at his arm.
Everyone but Kid started laughing.
"I was too, Lou. Honest."
Cody started reaching for the pitcher of milk. Still staring at Lou, he wasn't paying attention when he poured, and spilled some in Kid's lap.
"Cody, why don't you watch what the hell you're doin'!" he yelled.
"I was...! Milk's just got a mind of its own."
"Amazing how cow juice behaves in the presence of a lady," Noah said trying to hide his smile.
Kid had had enough and stood up. "You guys are crazy..."
Lou watched as Kid stormed out of the bunkhouse and knew she had let things go too far. Looking at the remaining boys she shook her head.
"Before we go any further, let's get one thing straight. Supper is on the table. And I'm not on the menu."
Lou heard them mumble their apologies as she went outside to find Kid. She found him in the barn brushing Katy and went to meet him smiling.
"Careful, you're droolin'," she told him playfully, wiping his mouth.
Kid wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and blushed. "Whattya got on, Lou?"
"It's um ... it's a dress. Ladies wear them. And you've seen me in one before."
"Not in one like that, no lady would wear a dress like that," he told her resisting the urge to grab her into his arms. Instead he brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "And I don't want my lady wearin' a dress like that."
Lou smiled. "Some people think it looks nice. Just ask your friends."
Kid groaned. "If they keep actin' like that, they ain't gonna be my friends much longer."
Lou stood on her toes and whispered in his ear. "Why Kid, you're not jealous, are you?"
"Hell yeah I'm jealous, Lou," he growled.
"I'm sorry, Kid. I just wanted to make a good first impression for your friends."
"Well, you're makin' it hard for me to remember why we decided to go slow this time."
Lou bit her lip and smiled. "Stop by the main house later and I'll let you tuck in the reason why." She kissed his cheek and headed back inside the bunkhouse.